Commander Abhilash Tomys back fixed after 2-hour surgery

October 12, 2018 09:20

Champion sailor Commander Abhilash Tomy underwent a surgery at an army hospital on Thursday for a back injury he suffered while negotiating a deadly storm in the southern Indian Ocean that left his yacht crippled three weeks ago.

Air Commodore MS Sridhar, the militarys senior-most neurosurgeon, fixed Tomys back in a two-hour procedure, the navy said in a tweet. The 39-year-old is recovering well from the surgery, with his sense of humour intact.

This naval legend @abhilashtomy now has a back of steel. The Docs r totally floored by the resolve and determination of Abhilash. Also compliment his sense of humour. Wish you a super speedy recovery sailor boy, navy spokesperson Captain DK Sharma tweeted. Sharma met him at the hospital.

Tomy was participating in this years Golden Globe Race, a circumnavigation challenge involving solo participants, and which bars the use of modern technology.

He suffered a debilitating back injury on September 21 after the rough seas and powerful winds pummeled his yacht Thuriya, sending it into a 360-degree spin. He was rescued three days later by French patrol vessel Osiris in a dramatic mission.

Image: Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, interacts with Commander Tomy after his surgery. Photograph: @CaptDKS/Twitter